Tales of a Brother
by risingfire17
Summary: Young Zuko and his family are at the Imperial Palace to see Cousin Lu-ten off to his first military battle at Ba Sing Se. Against a backdrop of family political games, Zuko struggles to process his relationships with his sister and the cousin he once called brother. But when the mythical Dragon Baghul comes after his little sister, can he find the confidence to protect her?
1. Chapter 1- A Brother's Duty

~1~

"Zu-Zu-niiiiii!" Young Zuko awoke in the dead of night to shrill girls' cries and three tiny bodies thrashing about in his bed. He sighed, sat up, and placed the closest one on his lap, then created a tiny wisp of flame to see the tear-streaked face in his. It belonged to his little sister, Azula. Her "attendants," or rather, glorified slumber party guests, Mai and Ty Lee, were each clinging to one of his arms. All three were heavy of breath with faces that registered dread, though they had at least quieted down a bit when he made the flame. _Thank goodness, _he thought, _if Father catches them making that racket in the Imperial House, we will all be in deep trouble!_

Zuko, Azula, and their parents made up a branch of the Imperial family, headed by his grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon. They were in the main house to celebrate the induction of his cousin, Lu-ten, into the Imperial Army for his sixteenth birthday, the beginning of his manhood, in a grand ceremony the following day. Lu-ten, son of General and Heir to the throne of the Fire Lord Iroh, would follow in his father's footsteps and become a great conqueror and hero to the Fire Nation. The visit to the main house reflected the honor of the branch family, and therefore, decorum must always be upheld. Gone were the days when Zuko could trail at his cousin's feet; gone was the kind older boy who let Zuko call him "Nii-san."

But more importantly right now, these girls needed to be calmed down before they ruined the pristine honor of the branch family that their father was working so hard to present! Zuko began to wipe Azula's tears and asked, concerned but calmly, "What happened? Is anyone hurt?" His sister grabbed his nightshirt in her tiny child's fists and brought her little face closer to her brother's.

"Zu-Zu-nii, the Dragon Bagel is going to come eat us because we were bad!" Again, little Azula began to weep uncontrollably. Zuko tried to put his arms around her, which proved difficult with Mai and Ty Lee still clinging to and crying into them. Again, Zuko sighed, this time in relief. If this "Dragon Bagel" was who he thought, then these girls were afraid of nothing more than a myth. He had once been afraid too.

"Zule, do you mean the Dragon Baghul, who lures away bad children and eats their souls?" All three girls nodded vigorously, and then shouted between sobs. First was Ty Lee: "I'm sorry, Zuko-Nii, we had so much fun we stayed up late, and got hungry, so Zule wanted to go get snacks- "

"You did too, don't lie!" shot back Azula with such ferocity it was hard to imagine her as the teary, trembling child she had been just a moment before.

"You wanted to more! You told me to help you!"

"You bragged that you could! If you couldn't don't brag!"

"You- "

"So, you three snuck into the kitchen to steal snacks?" Zuko interjected over their fight. Both girls stopped yelling and Mei, who had been sobbing into Zuko's sleeve, joined them in looking up at him. In unison, all three hung their heads and said quietly, "Yes, Zuko-Nii."

Zuko surveyed the three tiny faces, so full of genuine fear. Azula, now in the safety of her big brother's presence, was trying to act tough. She removed herself from Zuko's lap and contorted her face into the bratty, defiant scowl he couldn't stand, though her eyes were open wide and darting about, no doubt expecting to see a monster at any moment. Ty Lee, who seemed to be the guiltiest party in the snack-stealing, hung her head and wailed. Mai said nothing but clung to Zuko's arm, pulling closer to the fire he was still maintaining.

A part of Zuko couldn't help but gloat, just a bit, in his mind. HE was old and wise enough to know that the Dragon Baghul was merely a myth that grown-ups told kids to make them obey. According to myth, Baghul had been born before the first Avatar, when dragons still ruled the Earth. That was so long ago, even a dragon couldn't live to be that old! Besides, all the dragons were dead, the last slain by none other than his uncle, the great General "Dragon King" Iroh! Zuko reflected on this last bit with pride. Someday, he too would be a brave warrior like his uncle Iroh and his cousin Lu-Ten.

How would the great men of his family react to the fear of these little girls? He could see Fire Lord Azulon's sneer of disgust at such foolishness, and he cringed in fear at whatever harsh retribution his father Ozai would enact for shaming his branch in the Imperial home. His Uncle Iroh, Fire Lord to be, seemed fair but stern; he would probably also punish them, although maybe a bit less harshly than his father would. But he couldn't help thinking his cousin Lu-Ten, despite being heir to the throne, just might save them. How, Zuko couldn't imagine, but the kind older boy he had once called Lu-Ten-nii would never be mean to these little girls. Even though Lu-Ten-nii was barely grown and not yet a great man like the others, it was he who Zuko wanted to be, right now, in the best way he could.

"So, let's make it right, so there's no reason for the Dragon Baghul to eat you," he said, a bit more confidently than he felt. He pointed to the pouch tied to Ty Lee's waist. "Those are the snacks, right?" After her hesitant nod, he continued: "All we have to do is put the snacks back, and there will be no reason to punish you!" He was already up and out of bed and pulling an extra dressing gown over his pajamas when he realized the girls had were still frozen with fear on the bed. "Come on," he urged, "hurry so we don't get in trouble!" _If father finds out about this, the Dragon Baghul is the least of our worries!_

Still the girls faltered. Mai, too afraid even to fidget nervously with her friends, spoke up in a soft voice: "What if the Dragon Baghul finds us and eats us before we can bring the snacks back?" Tears were forming in Ty Lee's eyes again, and Azula's lip was trembling. Loud wails weren't far away.

"Don't worry, you made it there last time so you can definitely do it again." Zuko made his flame brighter, the size of a lantern (this was as big as he could make it, but he wasn't about to admit that now) and flashed them a smile that hopefully looked braver than he felt. "And this time, I'll protect you too. I'll never let some old dragon hurt my little sister and her friends." He held out his free hand. "So come on, we'll be okay, I promise."

Azula was the first to take his hand, and her brave smile looked decidedly forced, paired with a nervous giggle that hurt to hear. Zuko hoped he had been a better actor. Still, the other two girls followed her lead, and the four of them ventured into the hall. Zuko, stifling a yawn, recalled the time his cousin Lu-Ten had told him he would grow up to go on grand adventures to test his bravery. He wondered whether sneaking through the imperial castle in the dead of night, risking shame to the branch family (and a terrible whipping with it) to restore his sister's innocence, counted as such. He liked to think Lu-ten would smile and reassure him in his soft, kind voice, that it of course did.


	2. Chapter 2- A Brother's Mission

~2~

After what seemed like hours of tense tiptoeing in near total darkness (_honestly, how did they even make it here without firebending to light their way?_ marveled the young prince) they saw the kitchen ahead, still lit for the servants working through the night for the next day's grand feast.

Zuko had thought of a grand plan. Set a small fire to draw the servants' attention away from the door. The girls slip in. Azula gets into one of the carts they keep by the door, stays under the cover and puts the snacks on a plate. Mai and Ty Lee put on aprons and hats, passing themselves off as daughters of kitchen maids helping their mothers with the feast. They push the cart to the dessert table and put the plate of sweets out on it. They take the cart and walk out the door like normal maids. Then the four of them leave the cart outside get back to their own quarters as fast as possible.

He hoped the girls could remember the plan and pull it off. If not, he would have to think of some other way to save them before they got caught. Maybe another fire, but he would rather not if he didn't have to. Fire was dangerous, and if he was going to be a great man someday, he couldn't hurt anyone, even servants.

As they neared the entrance to the kitchen Zuko tried to will himself to start the fire and set the plan in motion. But before he could, the scratchy old voice of the head cook creaked out:

"-found this necklace on the floor in here, has the seal o' the branch family on it." Zuko felt Azula's body go rigid; he turned and saw her touch her neck, where a necklace must have been until her last trip to the kitchen.

The head cook continued: "'Twas small voices, musta been the branch family kids. Unruly, tsk, tsk, their father needs to keep 'em better in line!"

Ty Lee tugged at Zuko's arm and whispered urgently: "She's the one who said the Dragon would eat us!" He barely heard her. Forget the dragon. There was proof that his sister had been in the kitchen. His father would find out. What could he do to save her now? _Think, think, THINK!_

But then a shadow appeared on the wall across from the kitchen entrance, and it was getting larger. The one casting it was approaching. And it was the shadow _of a dragon._

All four children were running at top speed away from the kitchen. Zuko no longer knew if the cries were his or the others', or all of theirs'. He didn't know what to do anymore. All his smarts had failed him. The Dragon Baghul was real. And it was coming for them. Even if they made it back to their rooms, the dragon knew who they were so he could find them. And there was nothing the young boy could do to save his little sister. He had failed. He would never grow up to be a great man. He would become dragon food with the others.

Their only chance at being saved was with…their father. Sure, he might kill them himself, but surely he was strong enough to kill the dragon! And for some reason, being beaten to death by Father seemed less terrifying than being eaten alive by a dragon. He led them up the stairs, back toward the guest quarters, trying to remember the way to their parents' chambers….

And then there was a scream behind him. Mai had fallen, and each time she tried to stand, she fell again. Her foot was swollen and twisted at a weird angle. She looked up, eyes wide, all color drained from her face. Zuko couldn't leave her. He put her on his back and struggled up the rest of the steps. Azula and Ty Lee ran ahead, looking back, begging him to hurry before the dragon caught up.

And catch up it did. They saw the shadow at the end of the hall behind them. In a moment, their fate would turn the corner and come face-to-face with them. But still, Zuko would at least give the girls a chance, however slim. He called up to his sister:

"Azula, take Mai and you girls get out of here! I'll hold it off as long as possible!" But his sister didn't seem to be fully listening. She was staring past him at the approaching shadow, eyes wide with terror, tears streaming down her chubby face. Her whole body was shaking, and her hands…_were producing sparks. _

She turned her gaze on him, and then everything about her changed. He watched her back straighten, her head lower and her eyes narrow. "No." she said, sniffling through her tears. She descended back down the steps, her steps more and more steady. The clouds of sparks at her hands grew larger. "No." she said again, louder this time as she reached the bottom and continued toward the shadow.

She raised her head and called out to the dark, "Listen you dragon! This is my fault, so you want me, come get me…" Her voice was filled with defiance, but not the usual bratty tone that Zuko hated. This voice was scared, but strong, and…kind. She passed her stunned brother and the girl on his back and broke into a run, screaming. "But you can't have my friends!"

Her hands burst into flames the size of her body. Zuko stared at his little sister in an awe strong enough to momentarily suspend his brotherly protective instinct. This was the advent of the little girl's firebending abilities, and already they far surpassed his own.

But still, this was his sister…and she was rushing off to her death! Zuko placed Mai down and sprang forward, knowing he was too late but willing to die trying to save his sister, when the form behind the shadow turned the corner. A golden scaled dragon's head decorated with a great many ornaments and wrapped in the flag of…the Fire Nation. It had no body but was loaded awkwardly into the arms of a human figure.

_Something isn't right _was all Zuko could think. But what was right anymore? An hour ago, dragons were dead. In a mere few minutes, he had been convinced a dragon was real and coming for them and could no longer imagine a world without such a truth. Now there was a dragon…working for the Fire Nation? Would it still eat them? Where was its body? Zuko wanted to run. He needed time to think, to make some sort of sense of the situation, even if they were mid-battle.

But Azula was still rushing forward, swinging her arms back to launch an attack as they had watched adult firebenders do their entire lives. A moment before Zuko had been inspired by his sister's fearlessness, ready to follow her into battle. Now he was afraid for her, rushing headfirst into a fight she didn't understand, carelessly waving a weapon she had never used. What would he be forced to watch in her wake?

The rest of this figure emerged from the shadows. He was clad in a crimson dressing gown bearing the imperial crest. He placed the dragon's head on the floor and turned to the kids. His long black hair flowed freely past his shoulders, and he had to push it back to reveal his face. When he did, the face was young, its features soft, and its expression one of pleasant surprise. Zuko stopped dead in his tracks, no thoughts of the dragon, his sister, or anything but the face at which he stared. The man carrying the dragon's head was their cousin, Lu-ten.


	3. Chapter 3- A Brother's Lesson

~3~

Zuko watched on as two child-sized fireballs lunged toward his cousin. He watched the man calmly grab the fireballs from midair and massage them down to nothing, and then smile as if it were the most normal greeting in the world to be attacked by the branch family children. And then he watched a second figure appear from behind the prince: that of the General and Fire Lord Heir: Iroh. The general's slick black hair and the armor he wore even at this hour gleamed in the firelight like a blade ready to behead them all for treason.

Treason. Azula had committed treason. His little sister had committed treason. And he had done nothing to stop it. This alone woke Zuko from his standstill, and he rushed to his sister, forcing her to the ground with him in a bow.

"Please, General Iroh-sama, Ni-no, I mean, Lu-ten-sama! This is all my fault! I led them out of bed to play games, and I scared them with ghost stories! So please, punish me, but not them!" His voice was starting to crack, but he fought back the tears. He had already failed his sister once; he could not do it again. He stole a quick glance at her. She was bowing down as he had forced her to, but her eyes were locked intensely on the men above her. _Honestly, where is this girl's sense of fear? Is she trying to be executed?!_

Zuko gulped and dared a glimpse up. The general's thick, sturdy frame rumbled as he let out a deep chuckle. "Just games, huh? Well that's a right shame! You kids were so good I wanted to put you in the army!" He turned to Lu-ten, clapping him on the back. "Spirit these kids have, I daresay they would give you a good go, boy!"

Lu-ten let out his own chuckle, softer and lighter than the general's. "I daresay you may be right, Father, but I think we must leave the homeland with _some _capable soldiers when we go to Ba Sing Se!" He leaned on the wall and slumped onto the floor, stretching out as if lounging on the floor in the dead of night were perfectly normal for a prince of the Fire Nation. "Sit up, Zuko, Azula, and come here," he beckoned, patting the ground next to himself. "And you ladies as well, please come join us," he called kindly up to Mai and Tai Lee, who had been cowering at the top of the stairs. Gingerly, the children gathered around the prince.

"Were you all running from the Dragon Baghul?" the prince asked kindly. When the children slowly nodded, he chuckled lightly. "I guess it didn't help that I was wandering around the castle at this hour in my dragon costume."

"Why were you?" asked Azula loudly. Zuko tensed. The girl was WAY too comfortable talking to the Imperial family as if she had not just committed treason against them. Although he too had wondered about his cousin's costume, HE was old and wise enough not to speak out of turn.

"Because I get to slay him, that's why!" cut in the general with a hearty guffaw as he sank to the floor and rested his arm on his son's shoulder.

"Father, you could at least pretend not to be ecstatic to slaughter your firstborn!"

"Ah, but it's the most fun I've had in ages! You can't seriously expect me to contain such excitement?"

"Well I'm certainly glad to be dedicating my life to the service of your entertainment!" He shrugged off his father's arm and clapped him on the back. Both men were laughing, a warm, uncontrollable laughter that made Zuko long for…something. What that something was, he did not know.

Lu-ten turned to the children with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I got a bit distracted, eh heh heh. To answer your question, Azula-chan, I was doing a dress rehearsal for the ceremony tomorrow. Do you kids remember the stories I used to tell you about my father slaying the last dragon?"

Zuko nodded slowly. Before Lu-ten was an adult training for the throne, he was an older boy who put Zuko and Azula on his lap and told them grand stories of Fire Nation history. Zuko felt foolish. He had been deathly afraid of a dragon. And dragons were extinct. Had he learned nothing from his cousin's teachings?

Lu-ten continued, "Well, tomorrow we're going to celebrate the Fire Nation's triumphant past by having him slay a dragon on stage. And when he slices my dragon costume off, I'll come out of it in military uniform! It shows that the Fire Nation moves forward to a new age guided by its glorious history!"

Zuko had been about to clap his hands as he had when his cousin told them stories in the past but caught himself mid-motion. Lu-ten had a way of speaking sometimes that made it hard to contain excitement. Thankfully, Azula drew attention away from his emotional display by asking, albeit a bit too pointedly, "So you're using the ceremony to tell the Fire Nation you will do glorious things like that too?"

"You could say that, ha ha, in my case more like…I hope I can live up to my Father's glory!"

The general chuckled "I hope so too! I don't have any dragons to feed you to if you screw up!"

When the laughter died down, Lu-ten became a bit more serious. "The Dragon Baghul is a myth. Even if he used to exist, he is dead along with the rest of the dragons now. Do you know why adults still tell such a scary story?"

Azula sat up straight and said in her cocky know-it-all voice, "well, so kids will obey adults." The way she said it seemed to call for a "duh" at the end, which she had thankfully left off.

"That's correct, Azula, but even more importantly, adults tell those stories to keep children safe. Adults want young children to be afraid to wander around on their own, because even if there are no dragons, there are things out there even scarier. Who are we at war with right now?"

Once again, Azula shot in. "The Earth Kingdom!"

"That's right. And people who are at war do terrible things. Earth Kingdom soldiers have snuck into the Fire Nation and kidnapped children. And as children of the royal palace, they would love to kidnap you."

"That's why we train, right? To become strong enough to fight anyone who tries to hurt us?!" Azula's eyes danced as she asked. Zuko sighed, realizing training would be a lot rougher now that she had such strong firebending ability.

"And to fight anyone who tries to hurt our friends, or our Fire Nation comrades. Remember, as members of the Imperial family, it is our duty to protect all members of the Fire Nation, especially the many who cannot bend for themselves." He nodded to Ty Lee and Mai, who hung their heads awkwardly. "Just like you did so splendidly for your friends tonight." Azula smiled with glee. Her typical brattiness was being restored full force. _Can't she at least wait until we're away from the main Imperial family?_

"But remember," Lu-ten continued, "Before you can defend others, you need to be able to defend yourselves. You need to train for a long time to grow up strong. You can't do that if you wander off and get kidnapped before you're able to fight back. That's why we tell stories like the one about the Dragon Baghul. To keep you safe. Do you all understand?"

All the children nodded. Zuko felt a little less foolish for believing in the story now. He was supposed to. Something about the way Lu-ten talked always made Zuko feel like he was doing just fine and didn't need to worry. _Nii-san…._

The general cut in. "And if we can add in some extra instructions like 'don't steal snacks from the kitchen,' it makes things a bit easier for adults too!" Even Zuko laughed softly with the others at this.

"Now then." The general became more serious as he gestured to Mai. "This young lady appears to be injured. I believe we've kept her waiting long enough for a trip to the infirmary. He picked up a very frightened looking Mai, and then held out a hand to Ty Lee. "Will you help me escort your friend, little lady? I do believe having you there would help her spirit some!" Ty Lee gave the others a nervous glance, and then took the general's hand, and the three of them walked peacefully into the night.

"Well then." Lu-ten held his hands out to Zuko and Azula. "It's getting late. Shall we get to bed?"


	4. Chapter 4-A Brother's Reconciliation

~4~

As they walked back to the guest quarters, they filled Lu-ten in on their adventures. Well, Azula did most of the talking, thoroughly enjoying the praise they were receiving from the prince. Zuko was just content to be alive and forgiven for the night's escapades, and very grateful that General Iroh had "not felt a need to tell Ozai." As he had put it.

Lu-ten and Zuko put Azula to bed first, tucking her in like she was a baby. A baby who could launch fireballs at the prince _and get away with it_. Then they walked to Zuko's room. When they arrived, Zuko stammered.

"Ah…Ni-um, I mean, Lu-ten Sama, I can see myself to bed, p-please don't trouble yourself!"

The man smiled, but somehow looked sad. He took both of Zuko's hands in his own. "It's no trouble at all. I haven't gotten to care for you like this in a very long time. Please allow me to see you to bed."

Zuko struggled to hide his happiness. "I mean, if…if you want to, I won't refuse…y-your Highness." He walked into the room ahead of Lu-ten, taking off his dressing gown and draping it carefully on the hook next to his bed. He smoothed his rumpled nightshift and crawled into bed.

Lu-ten pulled the covers up over the boy, somehow finding the right corner of the blanket to pull even in the heaped mess Zuko had left them in. But Lu-ten didn't mention the mess. He didn't even slow down over it. And somehow this made Zuko feel more okay. It was that feeling Lu-ten gave him, seeping in again, that he was doing just fine. He closed his eyes peacefully but opened them again when he felt pressure on the bed next to him. Lu-ten had sat down at the edge of the bed and was looking at him with that same sad smile.

"Zuko-kun, why did you stop calling me Nii-san?"

Zuko shifted uncomfortably away from his cousin, unsure how to explain himself. It had been so long ago, before Lu-ten had gone away to finish his schooling. Zuko had been about Azula's age. In those days, Lu-ten had been the only one to play with him, and his leaving meant Zuko would be all alone. He could remember crying, grabbing the older boy's coat and begging "Nii-san, please don't leave me!" during the prince's farewell ceremony. Although Lu-ten had embraced him kindly, promising to return, his father had punished him severely for "making a mockery of the Imperial family."

Zuko had learned several important things that day. Don't cry in public. Don't get too attached to others. And never, ever address a member of the Imperial main family so informally ever again.

"It's what Uncle Ozai told you, right?" Zuko turned back toward his cousin and nodded meekly. Lu-ten smiled even more, that smile that looked painfully sad. "Zuko-kun, a lot of things changed during our time apart, but I never wanted how I see you to change. You always were, and still are, a precious little brother to me."

Zuko's eyes widened as his cousin continued. "With the war going on, there's so much pressure for us royals to act perfect and look strong, so the nation believes we'll keep it safe. But war can't be all marching and ceremonies and using the fanciest titles. Do you know why?"

Zuko shook his head. Lu-ten began to stroke his hair as he had done on the past. "War is scary. People don't want to fight if they don't have to. But sometimes we need to fight to keep our loved ones safe and give them a good life. Did you want to fight a dragon today?" This time Zuko enthusiastically shook his head no. "But you were going to, right? Why?"

"Well, that's because Azula was in trouble, and Mai was hurt, and I had to protect them."

"Aha! If they weren't there, and you were all alone, what would you have done?"

"I guess I would have run away."

"Where to?"

Zuko thought for a moment. "I don't know, just…away, or…" Zuko hoped Lu-ten couldn't see the color rising to his face. "…maybe…to you." He began to shift uncomfortably again.

Lu-ten paused for the briefest moment, and then continued to stroke his hair. "Why me?" His voice seemed just the slightest bit happier too.

"Well, because, I think you would…you know, help me." Zuko instantly regretted admitting this childish belief. His father had taught him to trust no one, not even family. Betrayal was to be expected in a royal family. Zuko didn't want to trust Lu-ten, the one person except perhaps his own mother he couldn't bear betrayal from.

"You see, in war, we think of the ones we love; we fight for them just as they would fight for us. They remind us that we are not alone in this ugly war." Lu-ten always said things like this, which made it hard not to feel safe around him, despite his father's warnings.

"I'm less afraid when I think of those I love. My country, of course, but even more I think about my parents, and the precious children I see as my own siblings: you and Azula. Loving you so much, wanting to give you the best possible world, that's what I fight for."

Zuko couldn't explain why, but his eyes were filling with tears. Embarrassed, he tried to turn away where his cousin wouldn't see. Lu-ten, however, gently accepted the tears and wiped them away. Zuko looked up at him and asked, voice still cracked, "Is…is it okay if I c-call you Nii-san again?"

Lu-ten actually lowered himself onto the bed so he could wrap Zuko on a tight hug. "I would be so happy if you did." Zuko shed a few more tears, not even scolding himself for crying into the prince's dressing gown, as he returned the hug.

When Lu-ten returned to his upright position, he too had tears in his eyes, which he casually wiped on the back of his hand. "Zuko, I'm happy that you would think to call on me if you were ever in trouble. Don't ever lose that, no matter what Uncle Ozai or anyone else tells you. Promise?"

Zuko smiled a big, excited smile he had not worn since before Lu-ten left. "Yes, Nii-san, I promise!"

"Good. I'll always be here for you, little brother. Don't forget that." Lu-ten kissed his forehead and began to rise when Zuko called out to him.

"N-nii-san?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think I'll become a great man like you someday?"

"Like me?" Lu-ten paused, the sheepish grin back on his face. "I'm not sure I'm a great man just yet, but…" He placed his hand on the boy's head and ruffled his hair. "…You definitely will be a great man. You know what's important, defending your loved ones, just like you did tonight. And you inspire others. Your bravery and willingness to protect your friends inspired Azula-chan to do the same, and because of that, her firebending was born. She gets to have an amazing big brother to look up to the way you look up to me. And since I don't get to be around for her like I was for you, I'm glad to know I can leave her in your care!" He winked at Zuko.

"You will definitely be a great man someday. But all great men need sleep, so get some now, okay? I'll see you at the ceremony tomorrow." With that, he blew out the candle and left Zuko in a state of deep peace as he drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5- A Brother's Promise

~5~

Zuko awoke to the searing heat of a flame in his face. He opened his eyes and saw little Azula leaning onto his bed, holding a glowing hot sphere right over him. He bolted up and away from the fire.

"Azula, that's too close to my face! What's going on?" He looked out the window. It was still mostly dark, only a few streaks of orange to the East to suggest the sun would soon rise. He could have slept for another hour or two before getting up for the festival. _So much for that rest that Nii-san mentioned._

_Nii-san_, he thought happily, and suddenly felt a lot more patience for his sister. He pulled the scowling girl onto the bed with him, and asked, much more gently, "What's going on, Zule? Are you okay?"

She pulled away from him and said quietly, "I'm fine. I'm just…sorry. You know, for last night." She clearly was not used to saying sorry. She squirmed and kept her head down. Just as he had with Lu-ten earlier.

He thought of Lu-ten's words, of how Azula would look up to him just as he did to their cousin. Being a big brother was a tough job, especially one like Lu-ten. He needed to be brave, always ready to fight dragons or soldiers or kidnappers, no matter how afraid he was. He needed to get her out of trouble when she needed. And getting into trouble seemed easy for her to do.

He wondered if Azula was afraid as often as he was. She always seemed so tough, mean even, like she could yell at any danger and it would run away crying. But even Azula was afraid of being punished by a child-eating dragon. And there was so much to fear in the real world, like war, and betrayal, and punishments for breaking any of the endless rules. The child-eating dragon seemed much less scary.

Even with so much to fear, adults didn't seem to approve of being afraid. It was one of those many things you don't talk about in public. But Lu-ten said he could be afraid and still be great. If Zuko had to recall a time he didn't feel afraid, it would be those years when Lu-ten was by his side.

Azula had been too young to remember those days. When Zuko imagined this tiny girl growing up in a world with so much to fear but not allowed to fear it, facing scary things all alone, his chest felt like it was being torn up and set on fire.

What did she see when she looked up to him? Probably a weakling who was afraid of everything. Probably someone who showed her she should be afraid all the time. No wonder she tried so hard to act entirely unlike him, even if it meant she could be mean or get into trouble. But he didn't want to show her that ever again.

Instead, he would show her what Lu-ten had showed him. That the world had some scary things in it. And that it was okay to be afraid. And that she didn't have to face the scary things alone. That the scary things were easier to face with loved ones. And that he would always face them with her.

He ruffled her hair as he repeated Lu-ten's words to her. "Zule, don't ever be sorry for asking me for help. I will always be here for you when you need it. So don't ever be afraid to ask me for help, okay?"

She held herself completely still and scrutinized him with a blank, dispassionate stare, a creepy expression that Zuko had only seen on adults before. He wasn't sure how he had expected the girl to react to his promise, but he surely hadn't expected this. He slowly removed his hand from her hair and gulped.

"Z-Zule? Are you okay?"

Finally, she turned her creepy stare away from him, along with her entire body. She sat at the foot of his bed, kicking her feet over its edge, and began to play with the ball of flame in her hand. She grew it until she needed both hands to contain it, and then she spun it between them. The flames cast a dark red hue that danced across her eyes, making her look positively terrifying.

She glanced back at him over her shoulder as she continued to spin the flames. "Zuko-nii, I won't be needing to trouble you like that ever again." She smiled, a wide, toothy grin that looked evil with her red glowing eyes. "I promise."

This expression of hers was new, and it frightened Zuko. But still, he couldn't give up. He remembered the little girl who had run to his side in tears a few hours ago. That little girl was still there, even if he couldn't see her. And she needed her big brother.

"Azula, it's not trouble! You're my precious little sister! I'll always protect you! That's not trouble, it's, it's…what I want to do!"

Her kicking feet came to a stop, and she shrunk the ball of flame back to a one-hand size. She slowly turned back to him with a sneer on her face.

"_You'll_ protect me? _I_ was the one ready to fight with fire. _You _wanted to run away." She jumped off the bed and created a flame the size of herself between her hands. She lifted it up over head and began to giggle. "Because you can't bend like this, can you?"

"You know, don't you, Zuko-nii? Weak people die. They get thrown away." She paused while Zuko shook his head in disbelief, then laughed. "I guess you didn't know. I heard Father telling Ojii-sama that Cousin Lu-ten is weak and will die at Ba Sing Se. Ojii-sama said now the family has a chance to produce a more worthy heir!"

"Nii-san is-"

"_Cousin Lu-ten_ is weak, and our family is throwing him away! That's what happens to weak people!" She once again reabsorbed her flames. She sank back down to normal and looked up at him, her sneer softening into an expression almost…sad.

"You can't protect me, Zuko-nii." She turned toward the door and said, almost too softly for him to hear, "because you're just like Cousin Lu-ten, aren't you?"

Zuko stood up, trying to think of something to say before she left. His head was spinning. The cousin he called brother was a great man. He would be a hero. There was no way he would die. But if Father and Grandfather thought he would…or maybe they wanted him to? Their family was like that. Tears welled up in his eyes. _Nii-san, please don't leave me! Please, help me show Azula! Please, help me be strong for her!_ He tried to stop the tears, but it was no use. They were freely flowing now, clouding his vision.

Azula's voice cut through his vertigo like a knife. "Zuko-nii, from now on, I will be strong. I will protect myself. That's why I won't need to trouble you anymore." With that, she strolled calmly from the room.

_Don't give up, _Zuko urged himself. He held onto the bed and steadied himself, focusing on the first sliver of sun outside in the distance. He wiped his tears on the back of his hand. He needed to be strong, too. Not like Azula, who thought strength meant needing no one and being alone. That kind of strength wasn't for him. It hurt too much. He needed to be strong knowing there was something he could believe in.

He believed in Lu-ten. Lu-ten was strong, and kind. And he found that believing in Lu-ten allowed him to be hopeful about other things too. Like General Iroh. He was strong, and clever. He had slayed the last of the dragons that fought humans through the ages. And he seemed like a kind person too. He laughed heartily, and took care of hurt kids, and kept last night's adventure a secret.

With people like General Iroh and Lu-ten in Ba Sing Se, the war will soon be finished, and then people won't need to be scared anymore. Then Lu-ten could come back and help him show Azula how to believe in others.

Zuko stretched his arms high and then let his body fall back onto the bed, legs draped over the side while the rest of him sank peacefully into the softness. He rested his eyes as a soft smile formed on his lips. _Just wait, Azula, after the war, when Nii-san comes back, we'll teach you. You won't be alone._


End file.
